Cause of prolonged cough

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Causes of a long, lingering cough

A protracted, prolonged cough, the causes of which can be different, most often occurs due to colds, acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections, the treatment of which the patient did not pay due attention to in a timely manner.

Table of contents:

It is important to note that there are a number of other ailments that cause a lingering cough. The main thing is to correctly determine the etiology of the symptom. Only an experienced doctor can do this. He will prescribe the correct treatment. If you have been coughing for two weeks or more, then this symptom is considered long-lasting and protracted, which means you should immediately consult a specialist.

Long-term bronchitis and pneumonia as causes of lingering cough

Bronchitis and pneumonia are diseases that most often occur as complications of acute respiratory infections or colds. In this case, the patient is tormented by attacks of this symptom, which is either wet or dry, mainly in the evenings and at night.

The reason for the protracted reflex act in this case lies in the sputum that has accumulated in the bronchi or lungs. The viscous substance is difficult to separate and is not excreted, and its presence in the respiratory system irritates the cough receptors. That is why the attacks do not stop and are long and protracted.

Both of these diseases pose a serious threat to the body and therefore require immediate treatment. They are diagnosed by a doctor. In this case, the patient is prescribed antibiotics, as well as drugs intended to liquefy and remove mucus from the lungs.

Pneumonia requires extensive diagnostics. If pneumonia is suspected, the patient is sent for an X-ray examination. Most often, pneumonia is treated in an inpatient setting. A protracted and prolonged cough after this disease may haunt the patient for several weeks after discharge, but its intensity should gradually decrease. If this does not happen, the patient has a serious reason to see a doctor for repeat tests.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract as causes of prolonged cough

The causes of a long dry cough often lie in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The most common of these is gastroesophageal reflux disease. This symptom in this case occurs due to the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus. The inflamed mucous membrane of the esophagus, when juice with high acidity gets on it, leads to a narrowing of the glottis and causes an attack of lack of air. A cough for this reason will continue until it is eliminated.

Gastritis and peptic ulcers are two other common causes of persistent cough. They also arise due to increased acidity of the body and require immediate treatment, which should be dealt with by a gastroenterologist.

Other causes of persistent dry cough

Often this symptom torments a patient for a long time if he has bronchial asthma. The attacks are accompanied by pain in the chest when exhaling. Inflamed bronchi cannot cope with the flow of air passing through them. Because of this, a painful and long-lasting symptom occurs. Asthma is treated with hormonal drugs and special inhalers, which the doctor selects individually depending on the degree of the disease.

People with allergies may also experience a dry, prolonged cough, the causes of which lie in various pathogens. The most popular types are dust, pollen from flowering plants, pet hair, and citrus fruits. This symptom does not require separate treatment, whereas to get rid of allergies it is necessary to take a course of antihistamines and stay away from its causative agents.

Often the causes of a dry, prolonged cough lie in heart disease. We are talking about ischemia, mitral valve prolapse, heart disease and heart failure. In this case, treatment should be prescribed by a cardiologist after complex but effective diagnostic procedures.

There is no point in postponing a visit to the doctor if a protracted and prolonged cough becomes stronger or its intensity does not decrease. After all, this symptom may also indicate the presence of cancer.

Source: http://pro-kashel.ru/prichiny/dlitelnyy

Prolonged cough

Cough is not an independent disease, but a sign of a disorder in the body, as a result of which the air in the respiratory tract encounters an obstacle. The nature of this barrier can be very diverse, as can the characteristics of the cough itself. A prolonged cough can be dry and wet, debilitating, or just some kind of tickling and coughing with enviable regularity.

Causes of prolonged cough

There are many reasons for the occurrence of cough, diseases mainly of an infectious nature, in which mucus forms in the respiratory tract, disrupting the normal functioning of the lungs and bronchi. Elimination of such an infection is fraught with so-called residual effects, when for several weeks after the acute period of the disease the cough still reminds itself. This is the nature of a prolonged cough when the problem first appears. A more detailed study of it allows us to take a broader look at the causes of prolonged cough. Conducting laboratory and instrumental diagnostics allows us to identify:

  • bronchial asthma,
  • Chronical bronchitis,
  • pleurisy and chronic pneumonia,
  • chronic infectious diseases of the lungs, in particular tuberculosis,
  • sinusitis,
  • sarcoidosis,
  • cough caused by connective tissue diseases and their treatment, in particular fibrosis,
  • occupational diseases - asbestosis, silicosis,
  • gastroesophageal reflux disease,
  • side effect of taking medications - angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, β-blockers, nitrofurans,
  • lung cancer,
  • heart failure.

Often, a prolonged cough becomes a natural consequence of severe but already overcome infections. Thus, a cough can persist for months after suffering from whooping cough or bacterial pneumonia. Such diseases in the anamnesis require careful monitoring by a physician and dispensary observation in order to ensure cure.

To identify its cause, a person experiencing a prolonged cough needs to do the following:

  • external respiration examination - spirometry;
  • X-ray examinations;
  • a blood test allows you to establish the inflammatory process or detect tumor markers, etc.;
  • additional diagnostic procedures - pulmonary function tests, bronchoscopy.

In addition, the clinical picture of the cough itself can be informative for a professional in the process of establishing the causes of a prolonged cough:

  • with bronchitis and pneumonia, active production of sputum is observed, but an unproductive cough is also possible;
  • with bronchial asthma, the cough is indomitable, accompanied by whistling sounds, especially active in the morning;
  • with whooping cough, the cough is paroxysmal, debilitating;
  • in case of lung cancer, the cough is dry with rare sputum production;
  • with gastroesophageal disease, the cough is combined with heartburn, provoked by sudden movements of the body;
  • With heart disease, a dry cough occurs, accompanied by a feeling of lack of air.

Different coughs - different illnesses

A prolonged cough can indicate a variety of medical conditions, as stated earlier. However, some of its features, such as productivity or combination with other symptoms, indicate specific disorders in the body, which, by the way, are not always localized in the respiratory system.

Cough of various etiologies is accompanied by various symptoms:

  • sputum production and blood content in it;
  • wheezing and whistling when breathing and coughing;
  • nasal congestion;
  • sore throat;
  • heartburn;
  • shortness of breath;
  • lack of air.

A prolonged cough should not be perceived as normal or commonplace. Its presence should be a reason to contact a specialist, which may be preceded by an independent analysis of the clinical picture.

Prolonged cough with phlegm

The production of mucus is an absolutely natural phenomenon for the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract affected by infection. In fact, it is precisely in order to get rid of the mucus produced in the body that the cough reflex develops. The origin of mucus in the respiratory tract is usually of infectious origin. Sputum contains leukocytes, particles of dead tissue of the respiratory tract, and waste products of infectious agents. Sputum differs in color and consistency; the pathogen can be isolated from it, for which special diagnostics are carried out.

Green sputum is usually combined with the presence of pus in the respiratory tract, or rather, it reports the rupture of that same abscess and the release of pus.

Black or gray sputum with a putrid odor indicates the development of an oncological process in the respiratory tract.

Sputum with a consistency similar to cottage cheese indicates the presence of fungal infections of the respiratory tract or indicates tuberculosis.

A prolonged cough with sputum that is difficult to separate is more likely to indicate problems in the gastrointestinal tract.

Prolonged cough without phlegm

A dry cough that continues for a long time is usually debilitating and exhausting. In the acute stage of the disease, they rush to transform a dry cough into a wet, productive one, which is followed by recovery during treatment. They try to treat a dry, prolonged cough symptomatically, that is, with sedatives and antitussives, which usually do not affect the cause of the cough. A dry cough will appear again and again, grow stronger, and eventually there is a risk of developing obstruction or bronchial asthma. The causes of a dry, prolonged cough are:

  • fungal infections,
  • burns of the respiratory tract with hot air,
  • smoking, also passive,
  • foreign bodies in the bronchi, including the smallest ones, dust,
  • allergic reaction, bronchial asthma,
  • chemical damage.

A dry, prolonged cough is usually of a non-infectious nature; at the same time, coughing can develop, for example, with chronic pneumonia, when a low-grade fever is observed.

Prolonged cough without fever

Very often, we decide to consider ourselves sick when our body temperature rises; against the same background, a prolonged cough causes concern. It is a very strong misconception to consider a cough as something normal or harmless if it is not accompanied by a high temperature or fever. Typically, an increase in body temperature is a faithful companion to infectious and inflammatory lesions of the bronchopulmonary system, but there are exceptions here (for example, absence of temperature during pneumonia). Except for these cases, there are many diseases that are manifested by a prolonged cough, dangerous in their course, but not accompanied by body temperature:

  • heart disease,
  • gastroesophageal reflux disease,
  • pulmonary tuberculosis,
  • allergy,
  • sometimes bronchitis and pneumonia.

Prolonged cough in a child

Any discomfort in a small child should be a reason to consult a specialist. If a baby suffers from a cough for more than a month, then the case is considered beyond the competence of the pediatrician. It would not be superfluous to check for allergic reactions, conduct an instrumental examination of the respiratory tract, and a Mantoux test. Common causes of prolonged cough in childhood are:

  • fungal infections are more likely than in adults, since this is a natural reaction to taking antibiotics when treating an infection in a child’s body;
  • helminthic infestations - children are also more susceptible to them than adults; roundworms often penetrate into the lungs, and their larvae are found here;
  • viral infections - children are susceptible to them to the same extent as adults, taking into account their underdeveloped immunity, however, they clear their throat ineptly;
  • purulent lung diseases;
  • chronic respiratory diseases;
  • allergic reactions - children’s bodies are more sensitive to allergens, and ignoring the problem can lead to the development of asthma.

Treatment of prolonged cough

A prolonged cough, which obviously requires a more thorough approach to its treatment. Despite the fact that cough treatment in any case should be professional and adequate to the specific provoking factor, a prolonged cough will be successfully eliminated provided that some general recommendations are followed.

General tips for treating a persistent cough

In addition to the fact that if you have a prolonged cough, you need to see a doctor, undergo specialized diagnostics and undergo treatment appropriate to the diagnosis, the following will help improve the health of the respiratory system:

  • Humidifying the air in the room - use a humidifier to turn dry and hot air (due to central heating or climatic features of the area) into something favorable for the respiratory system; sufficient moisture content in the inhaled air promotes the removal of mucus, the transition of cough to a productive form, and the maximum functioning of epithelial cells;
  • plenty of drinking regime - consuming at least two liters of drinks and drinking water per day helps saturate the body with fluid, which, among other things, promotes expectoration;
  • giving up bad habits - in particular smoking; A smoker’s cough may persist or even appear for the first time while quitting nicotine, but in this way the body is cleansed, which is again temporary;
  • steam inhalation is another way to ensure active discharge of sputum, as well as relieve spasms and ease breathing; steam inhalations are appropriate for coughs of any nature and form, but they are not recommended for use in children under 4 years of age and for coughs accompanied by high fever (more than 38 °C)

Drug treatment for prolonged cough

Most diseases manifested by prolonged cough require the use of pharmaceuticals - specific names and dosages are determined by the attending physician. Overcoming the cough itself is supplemented by the following categories of drugs:

  • antitussives - inhibit the center in the brain responsible for the cough reflex; should not be used on a regular basis, have a large number of side effects;
  • antiseptic or antibacterial agents - narrowly targeted drugs, the effect of which is to destroy the infectious agent, disinfect the oral cavity, and upper respiratory tract;
  • anti-inflammatory drugs;
  • soothing and enveloping drugs - mainly lozenges used for a sore throat, to eliminate a dry cough;
  • mucolytics - promote the transition of a dry cough into a productive cough, the formation of mucus; the success of treatment lies in the removal of mucus;
  • expectorants - used at the stage of sufficient mucus formation, they contribute not so much to its production as to its removal, are unacceptable at the stage of dry cough, and should be an addition to the use of mucolytic drugs.

Special attention should be paid to the use of antibiotics for prolonged cough. Obviously, a prolonged cough is not always infectious in nature. Moreover, a cough of an infectious nature is not always a cough of bacterial origin, and in this case antibiotics will be effective. Self-selection of antibiotics is extremely inappropriate for the treatment of cough in children, and they are also ineffective for acute cough in adults. Various options for the development of an infectious long-term cough are possible, but the more standard situation is when the disease is provoked by a virus, then bacterial microflora joins, and inadequate treatment of bacteria with antibiotics, in turn, creates the ground for the addition of a fungal infection. Thus, it becomes obvious that the use of antibiotics should be timely and prescribed by a medical professional. When a cough is a symptom of diseases of the digestive or cardiac system, antibiotics are completely inappropriate.

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Diseases, consultations, diagnosis and treatment

Prolonged cough in adults and children: causes

Cough is a nonspecific symptom, that is, it occurs in many diseases. To find out its cause, a doctor's examination is required, and often additional studies.

The causes of cough may be associated with excitation of the centers of the brain (for example, with neurosis) or irritation of sensitive endings located outside the respiratory tract (in the esophagus, middle ear). However, most often this symptom occurs in diseases of the respiratory system.

This symptom is almost always accompanied by lesions of the larynx, trachea, and large bronchi, since these areas have the most sensitive receptors. Information about their irritation is transmitted through the nerves to the brain, where signals are generated to the muscles of the chest. A protective reaction is formed aimed at removing the irritant from the respiratory tract.

Most common reasons

Areas of location of “cough receptors”

Prolonged cough persists for 3 weeks or more. If this symptom appears, you should consult a doctor. The following diseases can be diagnosed:

  • chronic laryngitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis;
  • lung abscess;
  • pleurisy of various origins;
  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
  • bronchial asthma;
  • bronchiectasis;
  • emphysema and pneumosclerosis;
  • pulmonary tuberculosis, sarcoidosis;
  • tumors of the bronchi, lungs, mediastinum, metastases or primary tumor lesions of the pleura;
  • enlarged thoracic lymph nodes;
  • aortic aneurysm;
  • diffuse pulmonary diseases;
  • dyskinesia of the trachea and bronchi;
  • foreign body in the respiratory tract;
  • whooping cough;
  • tuberculous bronchoadenitis;
  • chronic heart failure, causing stagnation of blood in the pulmonary vessels.

The main causes of cough that cannot be treated:

  • lungs' cancer;
  • tracheobronchial dyskinesia;
  • bronchiectasis;
  • polyp or foreign body of the bronchus;
  • compression of the bronchus by enlarged intrathoracic lymph nodes.

Cough in adults

Almost all diseases accompanied by this symptom can be observed in both adults and children. However, the incidence of these diseases varies at different ages. Therefore, we will separately consider conditions that are more typical for people over and under 18 years of age.

Upper respiratory tract diseases

Chronic laryngitis develops as a complication of acute laryngitis. The disease affects the larynx and vocal cords. Therefore, the main symptoms of the pathology are a hoarse voice, rapid vocal fatigue when talking, singing, sore throat, intermittent cough with a small amount of sputum.

Chronic pharyngitis is accompanied by constant inflammation of the pharynx. It is characterized by rawness and slight pain when swallowing. Mucus constantly accumulates in the throat, so the patient is forced to cough all the time. This symptom is especially pronounced in the morning, and it can be so intense that it causes vomiting.

In chronic tonsillitis, this symptom is not constant. The patient may cough up lumps of mucus - plugs released from the lacunae (recesses) of the tonsils. Sometimes he is bothered by a paroxysmal reflex dry cough. With this disease, the patient’s well-being deteriorates, performance decreases, and a prolonged slight increase in temperature may be observed.

If you suspect these diseases, you should consult an ENT doctor. They are usually easily diagnosed by examining the nasopharynx.

Bronchial diseases

Lung affected by bronchiectasis

A long-term inflammatory process in the bronchi with the formation of dilations in them and stagnation of sputum is called bronchiectasis. Cough may be the only symptom of the disease for several years. Its characteristics:

  • occurs in the morning;
  • accompanied by the release of purulent sputum;
  • the volume of sputum can reach 500 ml, it comes out in one or two mouthfuls, and has an unpleasant odor;
  • Often there is an admixture of blood in the sputum.

The patient may also have weakness, sweating, shortness of breath, chest pain, and fever. If the disease develops in a child, he begins to lag behind his peers in development. The disease is diagnosed using bronchography and fibrobronchoscopy.

Similar symptoms are observed in chronic bronchitis, however, coughing up sputum “with a mouthful” is uncharacteristic. The patient coughs for some time in the morning to clear the bronchi of the mucus that has accumulated in them during the night. The main diagnostic method is radiography.

COPD is characterized by a prolonged dry cough, sometimes in the form of attacks. The disease is accompanied by intermittent shortness of breath with prolonged exhalation, often with audible wheezing. With exacerbation, shortness of breath and other symptoms intensify, the amount of sputum increases, and it can become purulent. For diagnosis, the study of external respiration function is essential.

Tracheobronchial dyskinesia usually occurs against the background of emphysema or after acute respiratory infections. The wall of the trachea consists not only of cartilaginous rings, but it also contains a connective tissue wall. With dyskinesia, this wall atrophies or relaxes, and when you exhale, it falls into the lumen of the trachea. Against the background of good health, an attack of barking cough occurs, shortness of breath with difficulty in exhaling, suffocation, and possible loss of consciousness. When exhaling, a rattling sound occurs, similar to the bleating of a goat.

Lung diseases

Lung diseases often cause prolonged coughing. Typically these are lesions that spread to the entire lung tissue:

These diseases are more characterized by coughing without sputum, constant shortness of breath, bluish skin, and signs of respiratory failure. An increase in temperature is usually not observed. To diagnose and treat them, you need to contact a pulmonologist.

Another cause of prolonged cough without fever is pulmonary hypertension. It can occur both in diseases of the lungs and in heart pathologies. In this case, the manifestations of the disease often disturb the patient at night, in a lying position.

Prolonged coughing, sometimes severe, but without sputum, in diseases of the heart and blood vessels is a common side effect of treatment with ACE inhibitors (enalapril, lisinopril and others).

Among the focal lesions of the lungs that cause prolonged cough, the most common can be noted:

The early stage of tuberculosis is characterized by a long, quiet, short cough.

It is impossible to diagnose these lesions on your own. To recognize such diseases, computed tomography of the chest and bronchoscopy are used, and a lung biopsy is often required.

Pathology of the pleura

Hydrothorax on x-ray

There are many receptors in the pleura, unlike the lung tissue itself. Therefore, sometimes lung diseases begin to be accompanied by a cough only when the pleural layers are involved in the pathological process (for example, with cancer). This symptom is also caused by pathological conditions of the pleural cavity itself. In this case, it is long-lasting, difficult to treat, and often not accompanied by fever. With diseases of the pleura, patients are often bothered by shortness of breath and chest pain when breathing.

  • pleurisy with lung abscess, bronchiectasis, tuberculosis, leukemia, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, carcinomatosis or pleural mesothelioma;
  • hydrothorax (accumulation of non-inflammatory fluid) in heart failure, severe anemia, nephrotic syndrome, liver cirrhosis, starvation, as well as tumors of the mediastinum and ovaries;
  • hemothorax (accumulation of blood) with tuberculosis, tumors of the chest organs.

Prolonged cough in children

The following conditions most often cause long-term breathing problems in children:

  • bronchial asthma;
  • whooping cough;
  • small foreign body of the bronchi;
  • tuberculous bronchoadenitis.

Bronchial asthma in children, especially at the beginning of its development, is characterized by coughing attacks at night. It starts out dry and may produce a small amount of sticky sputum at the end of the episode. You can read more about asthma symptoms in children here.

Whooping cough affects young children, but often causes a long-lasting dry cough in adults. The disease is accompanied by attacks of spasmodic coughing, which on inhalation are replaced by a peculiar whistling sound; at the end of the episode there is often vomiting. Such symptoms occur repeatedly during the day.

Sometimes a small foreign body, such as a battery or an apple seed, can enter a small child's airway. This may go unnoticed by parents. Gradually, the foreign object becomes a source of constant inflammation. In this case, a paroxysmal cough appears, dry or with the release of a small amount of sputum. During such an episode, shortness of breath and suffocation may develop, and the skin becomes bluish. Body temperature does not increase. The nature of crying changes - it becomes compressed, intermittent, quieter than before. If these signs appear, you should consult a doctor, because the foreign body can become dislodged and cause respiratory arrest, as well as cause pneumonia or lung abscess.

Tuberculous bronchoadenitis on x-ray

Tuberculous bronchoadenitis is the most common type of tuberculosis. It usually develops in children and is associated with the penetration of pathogens into the intrathoracic lymph nodes. They become inflamed, enlarge and compress the bronchi, impairing their patency. The disease is characterized by the following symptoms:

  • fever, sweating, weakness;
  • constant coughing;
  • In young children, the cough may be loud, bitonic, or whooping cough.

For diagnosis, radiography and tuberculin tests are used.

Other Possible Causes

Among the conditions that may be accompanied by prolonged coughing, we note the following:

  • gastroesophageal reflux disease (reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus);
  • diverticula (protrusions of the wall) of the esophagus;
  • fistula (communication) between the esophagus and trachea.

In these cases, this symptom occurs after eating.

Another reason for the appearance of this symptom is ascariasis. In this disease, during development, roundworm larvae enter the lungs and irritate the receptors of the respiratory tract.

A night cough may accompany mucus draining down the back of the throat in chronic sinusitis, including in children.

Diagnosis depends on which organ the doctor suspects during examination. It may include not only examination of the bronchi or lungs, but also the heart, kidneys, liver, and genitals. Microbiological examination of sputum is often required, and in diagnostically unclear cases, a biopsy of lung tissue. Treatment for a persistent cough depends on its cause. Most often, conventional antitussive medications do not help eliminate this symptom.

Source: http://ask-doctors.ru/dlitelnyj-kashel-u-vzroslyx-i-detej-prichiny/

How to cure a persistent cough?

Cough occurs in many respiratory diseases, which is provoked by muscle spasms due to irritating factors in the respiratory organs. Typically, a cough occurs when foreign bodies enter the respiratory system, mucus accumulates, and microorganisms begin their activity. When the cough clears what caused it, then it stops. However, many people may notice that they develop a lingering cough. The illnesses have long passed, but the cough does not stop. How to cure it, they will be able to tell the reasons for its occurrence.

The site ogrippe.com advises paying attention to your cough, even if it is the only symptom that worries a person. It often persists for a long time after recovery from any disease. A person may cough for a long time, which is quite normal, until the mucous membrane of the organ that was affected is restored.

Pay attention to other symptoms:

  • If, apart from a cough, there is no fever, no catarrhal discharge, no deterioration in health, then there is no need to worry. Most likely, this is a reflex cough after a recent illness.
  • If the cough causes a low fever and weakness, then treatment is also not required. This indicates a healing process.
  • If you hear wheezing in the chest during a cough, which goes away after the symptom, this may indicate remaining phlegm in the bronchi that has not been coughed out.

Factors in the development of persistent cough

To understand how to eliminate a cough that does not stop for a long time, you need to find out the reasons for its occurrence. If you have just had some kind of illness, then most likely we are talking about a symptom after an illness, which will soon go away on its own. However, if the cough does not go away for too long, especially if other symptoms of illness begin to appear, then you should consult a doctor.

The causes of a persistent cough may be:

  1. Infections that provoke a long-term cough.
  2. Allergy, especially if a person has encountered it for the first time. In this case, the cough is dry and goes away when a person identifies the allergen and fences himself off from it.
  3. An undertreated disease, improper treatment, in other words, the symptoms have subsided, but the disease is not cured.
  4. Long-term human stay in places of environmental pollution.
  5. A combination of viral and bacterial infections.
  6. Smoking, which, with its tars and substances in the air, irritates the mucous membranes of the respiratory system.
  7. Residual phenomenon after pneumonia or bronchitis.
  8. Transition of the disease from acute to chronic form.
  9. Poisoning by toxins or vapors.
  10. Abuse of any medications.
  11. Diseases of the heart or blood vessels.
  12. Old age (treatment in this case will not completely eliminate the cough, but will help alleviate the symptom).
  13. Tuberculosis.
  14. Lungs' cancer.
  15. Alcohol abuse.
  16. Swelling of the throat.

If a child has a persistent cough, then you should pay attention to his ability to swallow food correctly. In infants, for example, this skill has not yet been well developed, so food particles often end up in the “wrong throat,” which causes a cough.

Naturally, a lingering cough manifests itself in all respiratory diseases. If a person is poorly treated for the disease, then the cough may continue until new symptoms appear.

If a cough is observed for a long time without a high temperature, then we recommend paying attention to the following factors:

  • Dry air in the room where a person constantly stays.
  • Problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
  • Inflammation of the paranasal sinuses or pharynx.
  • Helminthic infestations.
  • The presence of a foreign body in the body.
  • Heart disease.
  • Bronchial asthma.
  • The presence of harmful substances in the body.

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Treatment of a runny nose

Doctors do not recommend self-medication if a runny nose continues for 2 weeks, a month, or even more so a year. It is better to consult a doctor than to your neighbor’s grandmother who will recommend herbs. Experts do not at all exclude the usefulness of folk remedies. However, first you need to identify the cause of a lingering cough in order to quickly cure it. If this is not done, then a person can be treated with herbs for a long time without success.

Doctors offer the following directions in the treatment of lingering cough:

When prescribing medications, antibiotics are not used unless the cough produces green mucus and is not too long. Medicines are usually prescribed to remove phlegm, which provokes it:

The following methods of eliminating a lingering cough are distinguished as warming agents:

  1. Banks.
  2. Mustard plasters.
  3. Hot foot baths.
  4. Iodine mesh on the chest or back.
  5. Rubbing with animal fat or alcohol.

Compresses also have a warming effect on the area they are placed on. Here you can use compresses from:

Inhalations help ensure that medicinal substances instantly enter the respiratory system precisely in the area where damage or inflammation occurs. Inhalers come in different types, each of them allows you to influence a particular area of ​​the respiratory system.

Various inhaler fillers are used:

  1. Medicines: Sinupret, Ambrobene, Fluimucil, Lazolvan.
  2. Eucalyptus.
  3. Soda.
  4. Propolis.
  5. Mineral water.
  6. Saline solution.
  7. Calendula.

As an additional treatment that helps remove phlegm and eliminate a lingering cough, massage is:

  • Drainage techniques.
  • By pressing on certain points.
  • Segmental manipulations.
  • Vibration techniques.
  • Using cans.

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Nature fights rhinitis

Traditional medicine offers many ways to eliminate a lingering cough. Nature can also fight rhinitis of any nature, unless it is a consequence of some disease. Use these recipes:

  1. Mash and crumble the black bread, then mix with milk and place on a bandage, which is then used to wrap around the chest.
  2. Art. l. Pour boiling water over thyme and heat in a water bath for 15 minutes. Leave for 20 minutes and then take a tablespoon three times a day.
  3. Cook the lemon over low heat for 10 minutes, then cut it in half and squeeze out the juice. Add 1 tbsp to the juice. l. glycerin, add to the top of a glass of honey. Take a teaspoon 6 times a day.
  4. Cut the black radish into cubes and sprinkle sugar on top. Place in the oven and bake for a couple of hours. Squeeze the juice out of the baked goods, which you then take before meals 4 times a day. Children are advised to take 2 teaspoons three times a day.

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Forecast

A persistent cough has many causes. In order not to provoke the development of a new disease, complications after a poorly treatable disease, or a chronic form of an old disease, you should consult a doctor to accurately determine the cause of its occurrence. And then only you can be treated in various ways that give positive prognoses.

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Source: http://ogrippe.com/kak-vylechit-zatyazhnoy-kashel

Prolonged cough

Causes of prolonged cough

Cough itself is not a disease. Cough is a symptom that occurs when air encounters any obstruction in the respiratory tract. Of course, there is no point in running to the doctor if there is slight discomfort and a sore throat, but if the cough does not go away, you should consult a doctor. A cough that does not go away for four to eight weeks is considered long-lasting.

If a prolonged cough occurs, it is necessary to carry out a diagnosis as soon as possible. Diagnostics includes: mandatory x-ray examinations, external respiration examination, blood tests, and, if necessary, more complex diagnostic procedures.

There can be many reasons for a cough. Depending on them, the cough itself changes.

Cough may be a symptom of, for example, gastroesophageal reflux disease. With it, sudden movements of the body provoke the contents of the stomach to enter the esophagus, which gives rise to heartburn and cough.

With bronchitis and pneumonia, cough appears from the presence of phlegm in the lungs.

Cough may occur with lung cancer. Then it is dry or with rare release of light sputum.

Cough with bronchial asthma is very difficult to stop. Often, it occurs against the background of excessive smoking and is identified by accompanying whistling sounds. This is especially evident in the morning hours.

Cough with whooping cough begins in attacks. It is exhausting because... attacks can be very frequent - repeated up to 12 times.

With heart disease, a dry cough also occurs. In this case, the cause is stagnation of blood in the lungs. It causes a feeling of lack of air.

And of course, do not forget about coughs, which are caused by acute respiratory diseases. It usually causes a sore throat and sore throat.

Prolonged cough in a child

The mucous membranes of the respiratory tract are covered with ciliated epithelium; in the body it performs a protective function and helps the respiratory tract get rid of foreign bodies. During this process, a cough appears.

If a child’s cough does not go away within a month, despite being treated, it is considered long-term. In this case, your pediatrician should refer you to other specialists for a more detailed examination, conduct a Mantoux test and prescribe the necessary tests.

The cause of a prolonged cough in a child may be: fungal infections, they usually appear after treatment of an infectious disease with antibiotics; damage to the respiratory tract by roundworm larvae; viral diseases, which make it difficult for children to cough; purulent lung diseases; chronic respiratory diseases; various allergic reactions.

Prolonged cough in adults

The causes of prolonged cough in adults are the same as in children. Depending on the causes of a prolonged cough, it is observed with such symptoms as: blood in the sputum, whistling when breathing, wheezing, nasal congestion and heartburn. In addition, a prolonged debilitating cough provokes headaches, dizziness, impaired sleep quality, and urinary incontinence.

In order to identify the cause of a prolonged cough as quickly as possible, it is necessary to describe to the doctor as accurately as possible what exactly is bothering you and what symptoms accompany the cough. Often a chronic cough is the only symptom of a disease such as asthma.

Prolonged dry cough

In order to get rid of a long-term dry cough, it is not enough to carry out only symptomatic treatment. Even if you manage to relieve an attack of dry cough without getting rid of the cause, the attacks will appear again and again and have an increasing tendency. In addition, if treated incorrectly, bronchial asthma can develop. Therefore, before starting treatment, it is necessary to identify the cause. A prolonged dry cough can be provoked by: fungal infections; burns of the respiratory tract with hot air; smoking, including passive smoking; entry of small foreign bodies into the bronchi; allergy; chemical damage.

The pathogenesis of the development of dry cough includes many factors; a visit to the doctor will help to understand them and identify the cause.

Prolonged cough with phlegm

There can be many reasons for the occurrence of cough with sputum, and among them there are very serious diseases. In order to diagnose them, it is necessary to clearly formulate what kind of sputum is bothering you.

Sputum is mucus that contains white blood cells, leukocytes, particles of dead tissue of the respiratory tract and waste products of microorganisms and bacteria that cause diseases.

The sputum may be white, yellow, green, gray or even black, sometimes with blood present.

The nature of sputum and the timing of coughing attacks help determine the disease.

Green sputum indicates the presence of pus in the respiratory tract. Its abundance means that a large abscess has ruptured in the lungs. But such sputum can also be a consequence of sinusitis. A cough with thick, curd-like sputum can indicate both fungal diseases and tuberculosis. A cough with thick, difficult-to-clear sputum may indicate diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Black and gray sputum with an unpleasant putrid odor indicates the presence of cancer.

Usually doctors can determine the cause of a prolonged cough with the formation of sputum, but sometimes there are cases when this cannot be done. Then you have to carry out treatment by trial and error.

Prolonged cough without fever

Almost every person has encountered such a problem as a cough without fever. Few people attach serious importance to it, but in vain, such a cough can be a symptom of a hidden viral infection. For some reason, when an infection occurred, the body did not want to fight it by raising the temperature. Heart disease, sexually transmitted diseases, allergies, respiratory diseases, bronchitis, pneumonia, all these diseases can cause a prolonged cough without fever.

Pulmonary tuberculosis is a very dangerous disease that causes a prolonged cough without fever; even with timely diagnosis and treatment, it can lead to complications.

It is especially worth paying attention to cough during pregnancy. It is difficult to treat, since most medications are contraindicated for the expectant mother. And severe coughing attacks can lead to serious complications, including termination of pregnancy.

Treatment of prolonged cough

Depending on the type of cough, treatment is prescribed. There are methods that will help alleviate the manifestation of the cough reflex, regardless of the reasons for its occurrence. Firstly, you need to quit smoking. Don't forget to humidify the air, this will help remove mucus. Drink more fluids, at least two liters of water, it thins and removes mucus. Do inhalations using essential oils, they will soften the mucous membranes and help you breathe easier.

In order to cure a dry cough, you need to soften the mucous membrane. It is also necessary to get rid of the irritant that causes the cough. Lollipops, as well as gargling with herbs, furatsilin solution, and salted water give a quick effect. These procedures will help relieve a coughing attack, but not for long.

Drugs that have an antiseptic, enveloping and anti-inflammatory effect have a longer lasting effect. There are drugs that can suppress the cough reflex in the brain, but they should not be used under any circumstances without a doctor’s prescription.

In the treatment of wet cough, medications that thin the mucus by increasing sputum will help; they have antibacterial properties and improve sputum discharge. There are traditional methods to combat cough. A compress of mustard plasters applied to the chest and back (contraindicated at fever). Inhalations using essential oils. Hot foot baths with mustard powder. Black radish juice with honey.

In any case, if you experience a long-term chronic cough, do not delay visiting your doctor. After all, in order to get rid of an annoying cough, you need to get rid of the cause of its occurrence. Go to specialists, do x-rays and other necessary tests.

Source: http://kashelb.com/lechenie-kashlya/264-dlitelnyj-kashel

Causes of prolonged cough in adults

Causes of dry cough without fever in adults

Nowadays, it is difficult to find an adult or child who does not cough at least once a day. The pollution of large cities and megalopolises, harmful emissions from industrial enterprises, a lot of various infections - when living in a city, one can only dream of clean air.

The human respiratory system is designed in such a way that when infectious agents, allergens, dust, etc. enter the bronchi and lungs, a cough occurs due to irritation of the respiratory tract receptors.

With its help, the tracheobronchial tree is cleansed from external and internal irritating agents such as pus, mucus, sputum, blood or foreign bodies - pollen, dust, food particles. The role of cough is to prevent mechanical obstructions and clear the respiratory tract of phlegm or other substances.

When a person has a cold and becomes infected with a viral respiratory disease, the clinical picture is clear, the person develops a high fever, runny nose, cough, tearfulness, weakness and other symptoms of intoxication characteristic of these diseases. In these cases, the cause of the dry cough is clear. How can you figure out why a cough without fever occurs in an adult or a child?

Many people believe that cough is caused only by diseases of the respiratory tract, however, a prolonged dry cough can be a symptom of such serious diseases as heart failure, cancer of the mediastinal organs, some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, sinusitis, and sinusitis. The table below presents the symptoms and diagnosis of some diseases that are characterized by a dry cough without fever or with a temperature of 37C.

Cough and runny nose without fever

  • For a cold

possible occurrence of catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, runny nose, cough without body temperature or, 2. With these types of Orvi, the throat may not bother you, but a runny nose and cough without high fever are typical. If the cough does not go away within 3 weeks after the onset of ARVI, you should consult a physician.

to various flowering plants in the apartment or on the street, an allergy to dust is also accompanied by a dry non-productive cough, an allergy to pet hair, to food or animal care products, and a similar reaction is also possible to perfumes and cosmetics.

Even in carpets and bed linen there are many allergens to which the body may have an inadequate reaction, which is expressed by a dry cough and runny nose without fever. Also, the massive use of various household chemicals, unsafe washing powders with surfactants over 35% - all this can affect the state of the respiratory system and manifest itself in the form of cough and runny nose without fever.

after acute infectious or viral inflammation of the respiratory tract, a cough with tickling, coughing, a feeling of tickling or rawness can last up to 3 weeks, and simply unpleasant sensations and rare coughing can last up to 1.5 months.

Dry, prolonged cough without fever

  • Stress

Stressful situations, nervous shocks, experiences can provoke a dry cough - this is called a psychogenic cough, when a person is worried, lost or embarrassed, he may cough.

  • Also, if you stay in a room with dry, dusty air for a long time, irritation in the respiratory tract may appear.
  • Oncological diseases

If a prolonged strong dry cough without fever continues for more than a month, you should contact a general practitioner, pulmonologist, allergist, oncologist, or phthisiatrician to undergo a thorough diagnosis, since there are a lot of diseases that cause an incessant cough - tuberculosis, lung cancer, cancer of the bronchi, trachea, and throat.

A cardiac cough should be distinguished, for example, from a smoker's cough or a bronchial cough. This cough occurs after physical activity and does not produce sputum, however, sometimes with acute heart disease, blood discharge is possible after a dry cough. This is due to improper functioning of the left ventricle, when blood stagnates in the lungs and is released with coughing. In addition to coughing, a person is also bothered by palpitations, shortness of breath, pain in the heart area, etc.

  • Chronic diseases of ENT organs

often with chronic diseases of the nasopharynx, such as sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, sinusitis due to the flow of mucus from the nose along the back wall of the throat, a cough without fever may appear; it is concomitant and is not associated with the lower respiratory tract.

prolonged dry cough, temperature 37 - 37.5 indicates a possible tuberculosis process in the lungs or bronchi. Today, the situation with tuberculosis is very tense, even among people of high social status, the development of this terrible disease is possible, constant stressful situations, overwork, insufficient rest reduce the body's defenses, and since 90% of the population by the age of 30 is infected with Koch's bacillus, provoking factors can lead to activation of mycobacteria in the body.

with nodular or diffuse enlargement of the thyroid gland, pressure occurs on the trachea, causing a dry cough without fever in adults.

also capable of causing a dry cough without fever, this is a reflex cough after eating in the case of the development of esophageal-tracheal fistula, reflux esophagitis, esophageal diverticulum.

  • If a foreign body enters the respiratory tract.

If a person is concerned that he has developed a strong dry cough without fever or other cold symptoms, or has been suffering from attacks of dry cough for a long time, he should not postpone a visit to a therapist.

  • First of all, you should be wary and analyze when coughing attacks most often occur - if this is associated with the quality of inhaled air, the presence of new furniture, fresh renovations in the apartment or the appearance of an animal, wool or fur clothing, or other low-quality clothing - then most likely this is a defensive reaction bronchopulmonary system to toxic substances found in dyes, plastic, chipboard, mattresses, carpets and other household items or an allergic reaction to wool, fur, down, feathers, etc.
  • If the cough occurs only at a certain time - only in the morning, it is most likely chronic bronchitis. If on the contrary, only at night or in a horizontal position - cardiac cough, cough due to diseases of the ENT organs. If during a meal, then throat cancer, larynx, and gastrointestinal diseases are possible.
  • Pay attention to the color, quantity and consistency of the sputum; you should definitely inform your doctor about this, what color it is, whether there are any impurities of blood or pus (yellow-green).

An adult’s cough does not go away for two weeks or a month: what to do?

Among the many symptoms of disease, cough is a complex and unpleasant manifestation. Therefore, if it does not go away after a week or a month, then the patient begins to worry and suspect the presence of serious illnesses.

Sometimes, after a cold, a cough remains that does not end for a long time. At the same time, various remedies and treatment methods were tried. In this case, you should seek medical help if the cough does not go away for more than 15 days.

But why doesn't this symptom disappear quickly? Perhaps the body was exhausted during the course of a cold and at this inopportune time an infection or virus entered it.

The body can overcome viruses on its own, but only if it is not weakened. Therefore, in order to successfully cure a long-term cough, it is necessary to find out which microorganism provoked its appearance, so you need to carry out all the necessary research.

Prolonged cough: causes

If the cough does not go away for a long time, for example, the cough does not go away for a month, then the following infections and diseases contribute to it:

  1. pneumocystis;
  2. mycoplasma;
  3. fungal microflora (chlamydia, candida);
  4. tuberculosis.

In addition, the infection can be mixed. This option is the worst, because the course of such diseases is quite severe. At the same time, the patient experiences weakness, his temperature rises strongly and sweat profusely.

It is worth noting that incorrect, inadequate or untimely treatment of such diseases leads to their progression.

All of the above microorganisms can enter the body through airborne droplets when an infected person sneezes or coughs.

The chances of infection double if an adult’s body is weakened or if he experiences severe stress at work.

Therefore, you should strengthen your immune system, eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, get enough sleep and exercise.

What to do if the cough does not stop for a week?

Cough is an involuntary expiratory reflex that occurs as a result of irritation of the mucous membrane of the larynx, bronchi or throat and lung tissue. Thanks to this symptom, the airways are cleared of foreign bodies, harmful microorganisms, mucus, dust and sputum.

The reasons that provoke a prolonged cough include:

  • colds;
  • allergies;
  • emotional overstrain.

Moreover, the cough can be wet or dry, night, daytime, periodic, paroxysmal, etc.

Treatment of weekly cough

If the cause of a week’s cough is an acute respiratory infection, then the doctor prescribes antitussive drugs, but you cannot take antibiotics, since they only affect bacteria. But antibacterial agents may be appropriate for bronchitis and pneumonia, which are accompanied by symptoms such as fever and severe cough.

In addition to antibiotics, if a severe cough does not go away for a week, expectorants based on medicinal plants are prescribed. In addition, the doctor can prescribe immunomodulatory drugs that activate the body's protective functions and reduce the effect of antiviral drugs.

It is worth noting that if the cough not only does not go away for more than a week, but is also accompanied by chest pain, high temperature (38 or more), and when coughing up bloody, green or yellow sputum is released, then you cannot self-medicate, but you must quickly contact doctor.

There are some recommendations that are important to follow when treating a persistent cough in an adult. To prevent your throat from getting dry, you need to drink plenty of fluids. For this purpose, you can drink warm milk with honey every evening.

Fruit drinks and juices are no less useful. In addition, if a dry cough does not go away for more than a week, you should drink fresh black radish juice (1 tablespoon three times a day).

What to do if the cough does not stop within a month?

Why does a prolonged cough occur and what can be done to eliminate it? If this symptom does not go away for a month, then the following factors may be to blame:

  1. congenital lung pathologies;
  2. bronchitis;
  3. foreign body in the respiratory tract;
  4. pneumonia;
  5. tuberculosis;
  6. bronchial asthma.

To successfully treat a long-term cough, it is important to know whether this symptom was the root cause of the disease or whether it developed during its course. In addition, you need to determine its nature - productive or unproductive, frequent or rare, spastic or paroxysmal, etc.

You should quickly consult a doctor if your cough with phlegm does not go away for more than a month and is accompanied by symptoms such as:

  • severe swelling;
  • sweating;
  • nausea;
  • weight loss;
  • colorless, thick discharge or sputum with blood;
  • lack of appetite;
  • dyspnea;
  • heat;
  • fast fatiguability;
  • chest pain.

In addition, a cough that does not stop for a long time can become chronic. To prevent this from happening, you need to go to the doctor if the cough reflex does not stop within five days. Many do not pay due attention to this symptom, and even more so if it is not accompanied by weakness, runny nose and fever, but if not treated, time will be irretrievably lost.

When the cough does not stop for about four weeks, you need to make an appointment with an ENT specialist, a therapist, an allergist, a TB specialist, and possibly a pulmonologist. Doctors, after conducting an examination, will be able to determine why the cough does not stop for so long and what to do to cure it.

So, a cough that lasts for a month may indicate the presence of:

  1. pneumonitis;
  2. chronic bronchitis;
  3. heart failure;
  4. bronchial asthma;
  5. cancer metastases or lung cancer;
  6. sinusitis;
  7. asbestosis;
  8. tuberculosis;
  9. whooping cough;
  10. pleurisy;
  11. silicosis.

But to finally determine the cause of prolonged cough, additional research will be required. This may be a blood test, sputum culture for flora, a blood test for the presence of mycoplasma and chlamydia, a Mantoux test and an x-ray of the lungs.

In addition, a cough that does not subside for more than 4 weeks is typical for smokers and people working in hazardous industries, where they constantly inhale mold and dust.

Thus, silicosis often develops in miners, asbestosis in construction workers, and pneumonitis in agricultural workers.

Treating a cough that lasts longer than a month

It is worth noting that it is not advisable to treat a prolonged cough without medical advice. Indeed, depending on the cause, a certain method of treatment is necessary, for example, in case of heart failure, it makes no sense to drink antitussive syrups, swallow tablets or take inhalations.

So, to successfully treat a persistent cough in an adult, it is important to restore fluid balance, so the patient needs to drink plenty of fluids. In this case, the patient’s diet should not be too high in calories; it is best to enrich it with fruits and vegetables.

In addition, inhalations for coughs with the addition of pine oil, coltsfoot, baking soda, thyme, sage and chamomile are effective.

For a productive cough with viscous secretions, you need to use medications that thin the sputum. These medications include mucolytics and expectorants.

Moreover, it is better if such remedies are based on medicinal plants. And with a small amount of discharge, expectorant syrups and tablets are prescribed.

But it is worth noting that such drugs cannot be taken together with antitussive drugs.

Prolonged cough

A persistent cough is one that does not go away for 4-8 weeks. Therefore, a two-week cough is considered only a suspicion of a long-term symptom.

So, if a cough does not go away for a long time, then its causes may lie in the presence of the following diseases:
  • bronchial asthma;
  • left ventricular failure;
  • HIV infection;
  • tuberculosis;
  • lungs' cancer.

In addition, it is necessary to conduct a thorough diagnosis of the patient to identify the causes of a long-lasting cough. Thus, rapid and confused breathing is characteristic of cardiac (acrocyanosis) and pulmonary failure. If bronchiectasis and lung cancer are suspected, the ENT performs an examination called “drumsticks.”

It is also necessary to examine the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx or pharynx. In this case, the doctor examines nasal discharge, confirms or excludes the presence of polyps in the nasal cavity and sinusitis, manifested by pain in the projection of the paranasal sinuses.

It is worth noting that the temperature with a prolonged cough may not always be elevated. It accompanies only some diseases, such as sinusitis, tuberculosis and pneumonia.

In addition, the doctor should examine the patient's neck. During the study, manifestations such as a positive venous pulse may be revealed, which indicates pulmonary insufficiency.

If the posterior or anterior cervical lymph nodes and nodes of the supraclavicular region are enlarged, cancer of the larynx or lungs is suspected. And when listening, signs such as noise, local or scattered dry rales may be revealed.

To get rid of a lingering cough, medications that activate the immune system are most often prescribed. For this purpose, the patient should take products based on Rhodiola rosea, ginseng, and Eleutherococcus. As a rule, they are used after antibiotic therapy. In the video in this article, a specialist will tell you. what to do with a prolonged cough.

Causes and treatment of persistent cough in adults

Treatment of persistent cough in adults is a long process. A cough often accompanies colds, but sometimes it remains for a long time. Several weeks pass and he is still with you. Medicines, medicinal plants and physiotherapy come to the rescue.

What kind of cough is there?

A cough is a reflex contraction of the respiratory muscles, causing a sharp expulsion of air from the lungs in response to irritation of the mucous membrane of the larynx, pleura, trachea and bronchi. As a result, the airways are cleared of foreign particles or accumulated mucus. A cough in which bronchial secretions (sputum) does not come out is called dry or unproductive. A kind of opposite is a cough accompanied by sputum production. It is called wet.

Depending on the time during which the cough is observed, it is divided into:

  1. Acute – lasting less than 2 weeks.
  2. Protracted – lasts up to 4 weeks.
  3. Subacute cough – prolonged for 2 months.
  4. Chronic cough – continuous cough for more than 2 months.

Causes of persistent cough

  1. The most common cause is a complication of infectious and viral diseases, when the pathogen settles and actively multiplies in the bronchi.
  2. Untimely or improper treatment of colds and flu is accompanied by chronic cough. For example, if the disease was initially viral in nature, and it was treated with antibiotics. As a result, the disease worsened and complications developed. Often adults try to endure a cold on their feet, making excuses for being busy at work and other excuses, thereby delaying treatment. They go to the doctor only after they have a high fever and complete malaise. The advanced disease “took root” in the bronchi and lungs.
  3. Postnasal drip of secretions from the nose into the larynx, which develops with allergies or chronic infectious diseases.
  4. Chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma and gastroesophageal reflux disease are also accompanied by a prolonged cough.
  5. As one of the side effects of some drugs for heart failure and hypertension, for example, Enalapril.
  6. Chronic and lingering cough quite often appears in experienced smokers after suffering from colds or viral diseases. The mucous membrane of a smoker's respiratory tract differs from the condition of the bronchi of an ordinary person. Smokers have reduced immunity to respiratory tract infections.
  7. A lingering dry cough can develop due to allergies. Receptors on the mucous membrane of the bronchi and larynx become incredibly sensitive to irritants: dust, tobacco smoke, plant pollen and pet hair.

It is worth mentioning that a cough that lasts several weeks or months, in the absence of other symptoms, can signal the presence of serious diseases: tuberculosis and lung cancer. In addition, without adequate treatment, chronic cough in adults can develop into pneumonia (pneumonia), bronchial asthma, pleurisy or lung abscess, which is life-threatening. Self-medication can be dangerous; it is better to consult an experienced therapist, ENT doctor and pulmonologist.

To make an accurate diagnosis, the specialist will prescribe a number of tests and examinations: blood tests, sputum analysis, fluorography, external respiratory function tests (tussography, body plethysmography, spirography and spirometry).

How to cure an old cough

Depending on the patient’s condition, clinical symptoms and examination results, the doctor will recommend one or another treatment regimen. They try to transform a chronic nonproductive cough into a productive one, that is, into one in which sputum is released. To do this, expectorants are prescribed to help clear bronchial mucus. In addition to them, medications that stimulate expectoration are recommended: drugs with reflex or resorptive action, as well as those that dilute sputum. These include mucolytics, cysteine ​​preparations and proteolytic drugs.

In accordance with the nature of the old cough and the disease that provoked it, antiviral drugs, antibiotics and antihistamines are prescribed.

For a dry, unproductive cough at night, medications containing codeine, as well as Sinecod, are recommended. At night, warming ointment can be applied to the chest and back.

Inhalations are a very effective method of treating cough. They can be carried out using an ultrasonic or compressor inhaler. The drug vapors enter the bronchi along with the air flow. This helps restore the mucous membrane, increase blood circulation and improve phlegm removal. Folk remedies testify to the usefulness of inhaling the vapors emanating from a hot pan in which a collection of medicinal herbs has been infused. Examples include oregano with elderberry, raspberry with linden blossom and coltsfoot, and raspberry with sage and coltsfoot.

Inhalations with aromatic oils have an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. Take a shallow, wide container and pour water into it with a temperature no higher than 40°C. Add 2-3 drops of eucalyptus, menthol or mint oil into water. Cover your head with a towel and inhale the vapors for 5-7 minutes. After half an hour, this procedure can be supplemented with warm-moisture inhalation.

When treating chronic cough, it is very useful to do such inhalations. The thermal effect accelerates the liquefaction and removal of mucus from the lumen of the bronchi. Plus, the dryness of the mucous membranes is reduced. Antibiotics, sulfonamides, hormonal agents or other components recommended by a doctor are added to a pharmaceutical saline solution heated to 38-42ºС. In some cases, inhalations are carried out with a warm soda solution or alkaline mineral water. The procedure should last no more than 10 minutes.

Folk remedies

Folk remedies for a prolonged cough can be inhalations with infusions and decoctions of medicinal plants. To do this, add 2 tablespoons of dry herbs (chamomile, eucalyptus leaves, fragrant violet, sage and others) to 0.5 liters of boiling water and cover with a lid. Wait for the solution to cool slightly, and then breathe for 5-10 minutes.

Folk remedies for coughs recommend inhaling a hot infusion of onion and garlic. Onions and garlic are peeled, cut and poured up to ¼ volume into a ceramic teapot. Boiling water is poured into about a third of the container. Inhale the steam coming out of the kettle's spout.

Another remedy for coughing is cupping. It is advisable to find special small jars with a rounded bottom. Please note that this procedure requires an assistant.

Drink a decoction of linden flowers. Pour 3 tablespoons of dried inflorescences with a glass of boiling water and keep in a water bath for 15 minutes. Filter the slightly cooled infusion and drink warm 3 times a day.

Thyme infusion has expectorant properties. Pour 2 tablespoons of the herb with a glass of boiling water and heat in a water bath for 20 minutes. Strain and drink a third of a glass three times a day.

To soften a cough and remove phlegm, you can make a decoction of tricolor violet herb. To do this, pour one tablespoon of chopped herbs into a glass of boiling water. Keep in a water bath for up to half an hour, filter the solution and drink half a glass 3 times a day.

In the treatment of acute and prolonged cough, an infusion of coltsfoot flowers and leaves is prepared as an expectorant and anti-inflammatory agent. Add one tablespoon of dry herb to a glass of boiling water and leave for an hour. Take a quarter glass of infusion 4 times a day.

Along with this expectorant effect, plantain is famous, from which an infusion is prepared. For a glass of boiling water use 1 teaspoon of crushed plantain leaves. After 30 minutes, the solution should be filtered and drunk 1 tablespoon three times a day. To boost immunity and speed up recovery, your doctor may recommend an alcohol tincture of ginseng, echinacea, Rhodiola rosea or Eleutherococcus.

It is possible to treat an old cough with folk remedies, but only as an addition to drug therapy prescribed by a doctor.

It is important not only to stop the cough, but also to destroy bacteria that multiply on the bronchial mucosa, remove all phlegm and increase immunity.

Why doesn't a dry cough go away? Causes of dry cough in children and adults

Coughing is a reflex, just like breathing itself. And its appearance indicates that some kind of pathogen has appeared - allergic, infectious, viral, that is, the cause of a dry cough, serious or not, which causes irritation in the respiratory tract and forces the body to cleanse them of - allergen, infection, virus or foreign body.

Cough itself is not a disease; it is a symptom of over 50 different diseases or allergic manifestations, from a common cold to tuberculosis, oncology, bronchial asthma or heart disease. Most often, a dry cough goes away within a few days, turning into a productive, wet cough with sputum, but sometimes it can drag on. Based on duration, dry cough is divided into:

  • Acute - which after a few days turns into wet or goes away
  • Prolonged – which lasts from 3 weeks to 3 months
  • Chronic – which lasts more than 3 months.

Let's figure out why a dry cough does not go away for a long time, what diseases cause a dry cough.

The main causes of dry cough related to the respiratory system

The most common causes of dry cough are inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, caused by viruses and pathogenic bacteria.

In this case, a strong body with a strong immune system copes on its own, and if the immune response to a virus or infection is weakened, then antibiotics or antiviral drugs come to the rescue for ARVI and influenza.

If you have parainfluenza and influenza, you should definitely consult a doctor, since these are very insidious diseases that have recently become very aggressive, leading to a lot of complications. Read our article about how to distinguish influenza from ARVI.

If a dry cough does not go away for a long time during an acute respiratory viral infection, influenza or other infectious disease, this may be caused by:

  • firstly, because the human immune system is significantly weakened
  • secondly, that there are provoking factors that affect the duration of a dry cough, these include: smoking and drinking alcohol, very dry air in the room and taking insufficient fluids during a cold or viral disease.
  • thirdly, the addition of a secondary infection or complication after a viral disease, when bacterial bronchitis, pneumonia, tracheitis, pharyngitis, etc. develop.

Diseases of the pleura and lungs can also be accompanied by a dry, painful cough - this is pneumonia, pleurisy. In this case, most often there is a high temperature, shortness of breath, and chest pain.

Atypical forms of pneumonia

It should also be borne in mind that a prolonged cough can be a consequence of mycoplasma and chlamydia; these pathogens can cause atypical pneumonia, bronchitis, which can last a long time and periodically recur. To differentiate the pathogen that caused pneumonia or bronchitis, you can take a blood test using ELISA.

Whooping cough, measles, false croup

Whooping cough can cause a dry cough in children and adults. Whooping cough is considered to be a childhood infectious disease, although vaccinations have reduced the incidence of whooping cough among children, but they do occur, and in weakened adults, cases of whooping cough are also sometimes recorded. With this disease, the convulsive cough is so strong that it often leads to vomiting. In this case, you should take antitussives for dry cough, such as Sinekod, Libexin, Bronholitin, etc.

In addition to whooping cough, among childhood diseases characterized by a severe dry cough are measles and false croup. Measles, in addition to coughing, is also characterized by rashes on the skin and mucous membranes (see symptoms of measles in children). With false croup, the inflammation process involves the vocal cords, larynx, trachea and bronchi, so it is characterized by a barking cough. Children under 3 years of age are more susceptible to this disease.

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a formidable disease, which in recent years has also become epidemic, not only among people of a low social level, as is commonly believed, but also among wealthy segments of the population, with the development of favorable factors for its progression. Constant nervous tension, stressful situations, lack of adequate nutrition and good rest, addiction to various depleting diets can lead to the development of tuberculosis even among businessmen and people of high social status.

It is believed that every person is infected with Koch's bacillus, but a strong immune system copes with it. Once the body weakens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis can become more active and cause pulmonary tuberculosis and its extrapulmonary forms.

As for dry cough, its cause may be tuberculosis of the lungs, bronchi or trachea, larynx. It begins with a dry, unproductive cough, obsessive coughing, weakness, while the body temperature rarely exceeds 37.3-35.5; most often it rises to low-grade levels and only in the evening.

Tuberculosis can cause dry cough in adults as well as in children, which is especially dangerous because tuberculosis today is not the same tuberculosis that was 40 years ago. Nowadays, a large number of drug-resistant forms of this terrible disease are being registered, which require longer and more expensive treatment, and in combination with other chronic diseases in the patient or HIV infection, lead to death.

Laryngitis, pharyngitis, tracheitis

are also common causes of dry cough. With pharyngitis, the pharyngeal mucosa is involved in the inflammatory process, and with laryngitis, the laryngeal mucosa is involved. Both of these diseases can be both acute and chronic; the cough is dry, barking, debilitating, and worsens at night. With frequent inhalation of dusty, dry, cold air, as well as the presence of irritating gases and vapors in the air, tracheitis can develop, both acute and chronic. This also causes a painful dry cough.

Diseases of ENT organs

Against the background of various diseases of the nasopharynx, such as sinusitis, sinusitis, or chronic rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, the appearance of a dry cough at night is explained by postnasal drip syndrome. When these diseases become chronic, it is not uncommon that mucus discharged from the nasal sinuses begins to flow down the back wall of the pharynx, irritating the cough receptors in the tracheobronchial tree. This cough may seem productive and wet because the cough produces nasal mucus, but it should be considered a dry cough.

Oncological diseases of the respiratory organs

Cancer of the bronchi, lungs, trachea, throat cancer, as well as mediastinal organs (organs located between the sternum and the spine - heart, bronchi, aorta, etc.). If a dry cough does not go away for a long time, it bothers you both day and night, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible, take a blood test, an X-ray of the lungs, if indicated, an MRI of the mediastinal organs, bronchoscopy, and tests for tumor markers is possible. With any chronic cough, you should find out the exact cause of its appearance; today, oncological tension is becoming stronger, cancer appears even in young people, and everyone knows that timely detection of oncological diseases increases the chances of recovery or a significant prolongation of life.

Only on the basis of an examination, a doctor cannot determine the cause of a lingering cough - this is not possible, so it is necessary to take tests and undergo several examinations according to indications - blood test, sputum test, spirography, spirometry, X-ray, bronchoscopy, body plethysmography, tousography, MRI, CT.

Causes of dry cough not related to inflammatory processes in the respiratory system

Allergic cough

In recent decades, the number of people suffering from various allergic reactions among the Russian population has significantly increased, this is especially noticeable in children. Almost all children today have some kind of allergic reaction, if not a food allergy, then an allergy to dust, wool, pollen, mites, etc. Hay fever is a seasonal allergy to the pollen of flowering plants, which appears in the spring and summer; a very large number of people suffer from hay fever. number of people, it is manifested by sneezing, runny nose, lacrimation, itching of mucous membranes and dry allergic cough.

Bronchial asthma

a very common disease characterized by a chronic painful dry cough and asthma attacks. This disease cannot be considered only a disease of the bronchi; it is a severe pathology that is associated with a general disorder of the immune system, nervous system and allergies.

Exposure to toxic substances in the home

household chemicals containing chlorine, washing powders, etc., the presence of an abundance of exhaust gases in the air of cities and megacities leads to the occurrence of an allergic dry cough. Also pay attention to when your dry cough started; maybe it has something to do with the purchase of new furniture, new renovations, or the purchase of household appliances. Modern industry, especially the production of plastic, furniture, building materials, even children's toys, often uses an abundance of toxic chemicals that can irritate the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx and bronchi, causing chronic chemical poisoning. If there are a lot of such products in the room, they are new and emit an odor - this may be the cause of a dry cough.

Worm infestations

Sometimes cases of ascariasis are recorded, in which, during the migration of ascaris larvae through the pulmonary circulation, they linger in the lung tissue, causing an annoying dry cough. Getting into the lungs, trachea and bronchi, they cause irritation of cough receptors; the migratory phase for ascariasis is 8-14 days (see roundworms - symptoms and treatment).

Professional dry cough

The reason for its appearance may be associated with working in hazardous industries, where a mass of suspended toxic substances is formed in the air, causing workers to have a dry cough. Workers in the stone processing and coal mining industries often develop pulmonary silicosis. Also among the occupational diseases that cause dry cough, it is worth noting the disease of American farmers or fibrosing alveolitis, where dry cough is only the debut of a pathology, the outcome of which is severe respiratory failure.

Some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

Taking certain medications

usually ACE inhibitors, which are used to lower blood pressure and treat other cardiovascular diseases. In 20% of patients, these medications cause a dry cough, if it disappears after discontinuation of the drug, therefore, this cough was a side effect of the drug taken.

Cardiovascular diseases and heart failure can also cause dry cough

The cause of the allergy, the provocateur of allergic reactions, can be determined using tests ordered by an allergist. You should take any manifestations of allergies seriously, since it is not just a dry cough, runny nose or rash; with a severe allergic reaction, anaphylactic shock and Quincke's edema can occur, which can be fatal without timely medical attention.

What does a persistent cough mean in an adult?

Constant cough in an adult: normal or pathological? Any cough that does not go away for a long time, for example, for a month or more, should alert everyone. A cough in an adult is a protective reaction of the body that occurs for a specific reason, so every conscious person must identify the provoking factor and choose options for eliminating it.

In most cases, people go to the doctor when severe advanced diseases are already diagnosed, and the cough becomes prolonged, and the person cannot even clear his throat.

What can cause a persistent cough?

In medical practice, it is customary to distinguish between infectious and non-infectious causes of severe cough.

Non-infectious include:
  1. Chronic forms of rhinitis, sinusitis, sinusitis, in which the nasal mucosa is constantly swollen. Sputum does not come out and descends into the bronchi and trachea.
  2. Due to the consumption of excessive amounts of spices, acidity in the stomach may increase and heartburn may occur. It may manifest itself as a cough.
  3. Allergic reactions of the body to irritants. In this case, the cough will be dry and prolonged.
  4. The body's reaction to certain medications that have already caused addiction.
  5. Polluted air in the workplace or in a populated area.
  6. Diseases of the cardiovascular system.
  7. Presence of tumors in the airways or lungs.

Types of prolonged cough in adults

With any cough, the manifestations will be different. Therefore, it is worth knowing that there are several types of pathology:

Intrusive. It is characteristic of diseases or inflammations in the larynx. This cough is usually long-lasting and appears at the initial stage of a cold. When the patient has recovered, but the immune system has not been restored, the cough continues to appear and is more of a protective reaction of the body.

If at this stage you don’t help the immune system recover, then the cough will go straight to the bronchi. This leads to the development of acute bronchitis, which takes a long time to treat, and in many cases becomes chronic. If proper treatment is not provided, a prolonged cough causes deformation of the bronchial walls, which leads to asthma, lung abscesses and pneumonia.

When visiting a doctor, many patients indicate pain in the side, shortness of breath, and fever that accompany the main symptom.

A cough with wheezing or whistling is characteristic of whooping cough.

Barking - tracheitis or laryngitis.

The vocal cords become inflamed, and bubbling breathing can be clearly heard in the chest.

Most often, this cough torments the patient at night or early in the morning. There have been cases where suffocation occurs due to improper treatment or its ignoring. An attack of dry cough with tracheitis or laryngitis can last up to 1 hour.

If the cough provokes hoarseness, a decrease in the tone of the voice, then this may indicate the development of tuberculosis.

ARI, acute respiratory viral infection has an obsessive cough.

Coughing around the morning is characteristic of bronchial asthma. There are attacks of suffocation. Doctors emphasize that this type of cough should only be treated, as it can be fatal.

Mental disorders are characterized by a metallic dry cough during eating, talking and have a sudden effect.

Treatment of dry cough in adults

Smoker's cough

Almost all smokers are diagnosed with chronic obstructive disease, which can cause lung cancer.

Tobacco smoke contains a large number of harmful substances, many of them are diagnosed as poisons for the human body. When inhaling smoke, irritation of the bronchial mucosa occurs, while some remains inside and settles on the organ itself. This provokes inhibition of the normal functioning of the epithelium. After a short period of time, the epithelium generally ceases to perform its function - pushing harmful substances to the surface, and the bronchi absorb everything that cigarette smoke gives them.

This situation leads to chronic inflammation of the bronchi of a non-infectious nature.

Considering that the bronchi lose their normal ability to fight and cleanse themselves, the addition of any infection will not cause any particular difficulties. In smokers, there have been many cases of a combination of infectious and chronic bronchitis, which overlap each other. These circumstances cause a long course of the disease and recovery itself.

There are several options for treating a smoker's cough. When using traditional medicine, you must consult a pulmonologist. Mucolytics and expectorants are mainly used for treatment. If, during diagnosis, an infection is found in the patient, a course of antibiotics is prescribed.

You can use traditional methods for treatment. It is enough to use herbal mixtures of oregano, coltsfoot, thyme, licorice root, marshmallow, plantain, calendula.

Warming and rubbing help a lot.

A visit to a Russian bathhouse and therapy with essential oils help relieve an irritating cough.

Only quitting cigarettes can completely cure a smoker's cough.

Dry cough with allergic reactions, tracheitis and laryngitis

In order to successfully treat prolonged cough due to such manifestations, it is necessary to accurately determine the causes. All activities should be carried out only after consultation with a doctor.

Patients with persistent cough should be provided with:

  • constant drinking, preferably decoctions of medicinal herbs;
  • to relieve spasms, you can stock up on medicinal lozenges, which include components to activate the glands and swallow saliva;
  • carrying out inhalation with saline solutions;
  • carry out regular ventilation and wet cleaning at home so that the air in the room is constantly humidified.

It is recommended to take mucolytic drugs as medications; in severe cases, narcotic drugs may be prescribed to relieve severe paroxysmal cough.

Worth knowing! It is forbidden to take antitussive and expectorant medications at the same time, as there have been cases of relief of phlegm in the bronchi. This leads to the development of inflammatory processes.

From traditional medicine, inhalations can be used. Care should be taken when choosing inhalation solutions for allergic cough. Herbs and oils can provoke additional allergic reactions and only worsen the patient’s condition.

Inhalations with soda solution are good for everyone. They help transform a dry cough into a wet one, thin out mucus and remove it out.

What are the dangers of not treating a persistent cough?

Prolonged reflex coughing of various types is dangerous for the human body and can lead to serious complications:

  1. Myocardial infarction. Since a prolonged cough has a detrimental effect on the functioning of the bronchi, an infectious disease develops or becomes chronic in them. Inflammatory processes in the bronchi also affect nearby organs.
  2. Such manifestations can cause psychological and psychosocial problems. It is difficult for a person to be in public places or at work for a long time. If you need to work with your voice, then this becomes impossible altogether.
  3. A long cough in most cases causes shortness of breath, therefore physical activity decreases, which leads to other diseases in the body.
  4. Severe attacks can cause bleeding in the brain. Due to the fact that the patient constantly strains the muscles and blood vessels in the head and body, the blood vessels in the brain lose their ability to work correctly.
  5. May cause inguinal and umbilical hernias.

Despite the fact that cough at first glance seems like a minor disease, it can cause complications and a lot of problems. Therefore, only timely treatment and diagnosis can return the body to normal life without unpleasant symptoms.

Cough without fever

Some cold symptoms occur without fever and therefore sometimes do not cause much concern. In fact, they are very dangerous. For example, a prolonged cough without fever or runny nose indicates the presence of a hidden infection in the body. This symptom is extremely serious. Let's take a closer look at the reasons for this phenomenon and ways to get rid of it.

Causes of cough without fever

If a person coughs for a long time, but does not have a fever, runny nose or sneezing, this may be a sign of the following problems in the body:

  1. Hidden inflammation or allergic reaction. In this case, a cough in the throat is accompanied by a runny nose and sneezing, but the temperature does not rise above 37.
  2. Heart failure.
  3. Venereal disease. With this pathology, constant coughing is accompanied by skin irritation, rash, and the temperature does not rise.
  4. Pneumonia or ARVI.

Sometimes people cough not because of a cold, but because of environmental pollution. Often this symptom, along with a runny nose, is observed in people working in a mine, metal processing or chemical plant. Very often smokers cough for a long time without a runny nose or fever. For allergy sufferers, this condition can be caused by feather pillows that harbor mites. To understand how to treat a prolonged cough without a runny nose and high fever, determine whether it is dry or wet.

Sukhoi

The main reasons that can cause a dry cough (sometimes with wheezing) without fever and runny nose are:

  1. Allergy to external irritants. The body tries to free the respiratory system from irritating particles, such as dust, animal hair, and household chemicals.
  2. Ecology. If you live in an environmentally unfavorable place for a long time, then a barking cough with a runny nose without fever may be caused by environmental pollution. Long-term smoking aggravates the situation. All this sometimes leads to chronic diseases of the respiratory system.
  3. Heart problems. In this situation, the condition worsens when lying down. Sometimes this makes it difficult to breathe.
  4. Laryngeal papillomatosis. The larynx becomes covered with papillomas. The patient also feels discomfort in the throat, but there is no increase in temperature or runny nose, as with a cold.

Wet

The causes of such a cough (in the absence of fever and runny nose) may be the following problems:

  1. Bronchitis, tracheitis, other similar diseases. As a rule, this symptom is a residual phenomenon of past inflammation; its maximum duration is a month.
  2. False croup. With this diagnosis, a person has a very strong cough without a runny nose and fever with painful attacks. There is practically no coughing up of phlegm.
  3. Tuberculosis. A dangerous disease that often does not manifest itself with any other symptoms. Runny nose and cough with sputum containing blood.
  4. Cold. With ARVI, a person also suffers from a runny nose, even if the temperature remains normal.

Paroxysmal

Such a cough in the absence of a runny nose and fever is very dangerous. A man is choking and has a very sore throat. This should never be tolerated or treated at home. It is necessary to urgently consult a doctor who will determine what these attacks are a symptom of. If you sometimes cough almost to the point of vomiting, the reasons for this may be:

Night

A dry cough at night may be a sign of an allergy to natural pillow fillings. But it is also a symptom of other dangerous diseases. You should try to understand what other signs are observed, such as a runny nose or sneezing. If you have snot while coughing without fever at night, then it is either a cold or an allergy. Often people cough at night due to abnormal structure of the skeleton or internal organs, or inflammation of the nerve endings.

Protracted

If there is no chills with a prolonged cough, this does not mean that there is no danger. Constant coughing may indicate that the body for some reason is not responding to the virus with a high fever. If this lasts for a very long time, you must undergo a medical examination. The reasons for this condition may be:

How to cure a cough

To cure a prolonged cough without fever, it is recommended to use medications and traditional recipes. If you prefer the first option, first visit your doctor to determine the cause of the problem and write a prescription for the appropriate medications. If it is a cold without fever, then tablets that thin the sputum will help. These include Mucaltin, Ambrobene, Bbromhexine. In more severe cases, antibiotics will be needed.

A wet cough can also be treated at home using traditional medicine. A mixture of pureed cranberries and honey (in equal parts) will be very effective. It is also recommended to drink honey with linden blossom and birch buds in a ratio of 1:1:0.5 cups. The mixture is boiled in a water bath for a quarter of an hour, filtered and drunk three times a day with a small spoon. If you don’t know how to stop coughing and how to treat this condition, rub your chest with badger fat, which has an anti-inflammatory effect. Be sure to drink a lot of warm liquid. Different approaches are used to treat cough in children and adults.

In adults

To cure a severe, prolonged cough in an adult, it is necessary to determine the cause of the symptom and eliminate it. A dry cough at night can be treated with antitussive medications so that the person can rest properly. If it is associated with an upper respiratory tract infection, then you will need to take cold tablets. The most important thing is to understand what to take to turn a constant dry cough into a wet one. For this purpose, medications are prescribed to stimulate expectoration:

  1. Reflex. Medicines taken to treat a persistent cold. They affect the areas of the brain responsible for the cough reflex. The most common example is the leaves of coltsfoot, plantain. Medicines: Codeine.
  2. Resorptive. Mucus thinners. Thanks to them, the lungs are intensively cleansed. Often such medications are used for inhalation. Examples: ACC, Amtersol, Ascoril.
  3. Proteolytic. Makes sputum less viscous. These include Gelomirtol and thyme herb.
  4. Mucoregulators. Tablets for increased phlegm production, used to treat colds in most cases. For example, Ambroxol, Bromhexine.

In children

A cough in an infant without fever is normal if the child is not capricious and sleeps well, behaves very actively, and does not complain of a stuffy nose or weakness. But if a barking, dry or wet cough does not go away, then you should consult a doctor. Pain when coughing and frequent long attacks, which sometimes lead to vomiting and do not allow a 3-year-old child to sleep, indicate the presence of serious diseases in the body.

To treat a prolonged cough without fever in a child, the following is prescribed:

  • means that calm spasms (Joset, Askoril, Kashnol);
  • medications to thin sputum (Thyme syrup, ACC, Bromhexine);
  • expectorants (Stoptussin, Bronchicum, Plantain syrup).

If your child has a dry allergic cough without a runny nose, then treatment should be comprehensive. In this situation, you need to take antitussive medications and visit an allergist who will identify the allergen and eliminate it. This could be household dust or pet hair. The specialist will prescribe antihistamines (anti-allergic) and tell you what to drink for general strengthening therapy and boost immunity.

Video: Komarovsky on the treatment of cough in a child

Watch the video in which the famous pediatrician Evgeniy Komarovsky explains in detail how to treat a bad cough without a runny nose in an infant. The doctor's advice will help you understand why the cough occurs and what needs to be done to make the illness go away quickly. After watching the video below, you will no longer consider a cough to be something frightening and incomprehensible, and when it appears, you will be able to take the right measures without delay.

What can cause a severe cough without fever?

A prolonged, severe cough without fever is quite common. Many people do not pay attention to a slight cough and do not seek medical help. Someone completely ignores the unpleasant phenomenon, believing that it will disappear on its own over time. Others try to cure their illness with folk remedies for coughs or buy medications on the advice of friends.

Self-medication, as well as ignoring an illness, can be dangerous to health, because constant coughing can be a sign of a serious illness. Incorrectly selected medications can worsen the patient's condition. Untreated diseases often become chronic or provoke the development of other pathologies.

What is a cough

Cough is a reflex reaction of the body to various irritants in the organs of the respiratory system. It performs a protective and cleansing function. With its help, the body is freed from foreign bodies that have entered the respiratory tract, as well as from substances that irritate the respiratory system. The cough reflex helps to get rid of pathogens and products of the fight against infection with the body's defenses. Thanks to this reaction, the body maintains optimal conditions for the healthy functioning of the respiratory system. Therefore, treatment of many types of cough is aimed at its effectiveness, rather than suppression.

But a cough can also be of a nervous nature. It occurs as a result of diseases of the human nervous system, and not as a result of external influences on the respiratory system.

There are two types of cough: dry and wet. If the mucous membranes of the respiratory organs are dry and hot, then the cough reflex will be dry. It doesn't bring relief. It often irritates the mucous membranes and can be painful and unpleasant.

A wet cough occurs when a reflex reaction is accompanied by the production of sputum. It usually brings relief, but in some cases the wet cough can be very deep. It becomes more difficult to clear your throat. Sometimes there is a feeling of lack of air.

If inflammation of the respiratory system is caused by an infection, a cough reflex may appear against the background of an increase in body temperature. However, it often appears without temperature.

There are several reasons for cough without fever.

Cough without fever due to an infectious disease

The inflammatory process caused by various types of pathogens can occur without an increase in body temperature. This course of an infectious disease can be caused by the weakened immunity of the patient. In such cases, a deep cough may occur. Weak resistance of the body allows infection to penetrate into the upper respiratory tract, into the bronchi and further into the lungs. A person with a healthy immune system would experience a high body temperature in this state. But a weak immune response makes a person vulnerable to diseases. If the disease is not treated, the patient's condition will rapidly deteriorate.

A strong immune system can effectively fight infection at the infection stage. An infected person shows signs of illness (such as a cough and runny nose), but their body temperature does not increase. If this condition is ignored, then the immune forces may not be enough to successfully overcome the infection. If you lead a normal lifestyle and load the body with the usual daily stress, the infection will be able to cause an inflammatory process. In addition, a bacterial infection can be added to a viral infection.

A prolonged cough without fever may be a consequence of a viral disease, when the acute inflammatory process has become chronic. A dry, irritating cough that irritates the mucous membrane of the throat is characteristic of chronic atrophic pharyngitis. A cough reflex with sputum may be a sign of chronic hypertrophic pharyngitis.

After suffering an acute respiratory viral disease, coughing can be observed for some time as a residual phenomenon.

A prolonged dry cough without or with a slight increase in temperature may be a sign of damage to the body by tuberculosis infection. This symptom is characteristic of tuberculous bronchoadenitis and the initial stage of focal pulmonary tuberculosis.

Allergic nature

Cough without fever occurs with various allergic diseases.

The cough reflex may appear due to the contact of substances – allergens – with the mucous membrane of the respiratory organs. For example, plant pollen, fungal spores or poplar fluff. This cough is usually dry and shallow. There may be either a slight cough or attacks of uncontrollable coughing, during which the patient suffocates. Allergic cough is characterized by disappearance of symptoms after removal of the irritant substance. It instantly disappears or becomes less obvious after taking antihistamines.

Asthma as one of the reasons

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that causes inflammation and swelling of the airways. Asthmatics suffer from coughing attacks, especially at night. During an attack, hoarse or difficult breathing appears and mucus forms. A coughing attack can be triggered by physical activity, a strong smell or cold air. Exacerbation of the disease is also caused by various substances - allergens. Before an attack, the patient may feel itching in the chin, chest or neck. Heredity, as well as occupational and environmental factors, play an important role in the development of the disease. Recent studies have confirmed the influence of household chemicals on the development of this disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a disease that causes irreversible restriction of air flow into the airways. There is no increase in body temperature. This condition progresses steadily and is accompanied by an inflammatory reaction in the lungs. The disease appears as a result of constant exposure to irritating substances on the respiratory organs of pathogenic particles or gases. In response to an irritant in the lungs, the number of cells that produce mucous secretion intensively increases. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease often affects long-time smokers—more than forty-five years. Therefore, this disease is often called smoker's disease. In them, excess phlegm may go unnoticed, since tobacco smoke paralyzes the cilia of the bronchi, which help the phlegm to move. Therefore, heavy smokers often cough loudly in the morning with phlegm. But after the first puffs, the cough reflex subsides. If a smoker cannot live without a morning cigarette, this is a sign of the development of pathology in his respiratory system.

Over time, a more severe condition develops in which the patient is unable to exhale air from the lungs due to narrowing of the lumen of the bronchi.

Cough as a side effect

A fever-free cough can occur due to long-term use of medications for the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system and hypertension - ACE inhibitors (angiotensin-converting enzyme). A side effect of this therapy may be a cough reflex. About a fifth of patients who take such drugs develop a dry cough.

Long-term use of drops to treat a runny nose can provoke a cough reflex. In this case, catarrhal phenomena are usually observed - slight redness of the pharynx and a tickling sensation in the throat.

Other reasons

Gastroesophageal reflux disease may be accompanied by a cough without fever. This is a disease of the esophagus and stomach in which stomach acid enters the esophagus due to a weak valve. Along with heartburn, coughing, wheezing and chest pain may appear.

Polluted air causes coughing attacks. In this way, the body tries to get rid of foreign particles in the air.

Prolonged exposure to vapors and gases may cause phlegm and lung irritation. Mold spores can cause the same effect. Polluted air often provokes allergic reactions or an asthma attack.

Neurogenic cough occurs against the background of a disease of the nervous system. This is usually a dry, loud cough reflex that intensifies in stressful situations. In a calm state and during sleep, as a rule, it does not bother a person.

Oncological diseases

Chronic cough without fever is often a sign of the development of a malignant tumor in the respiratory system. A cough of an oncological nature has its own characteristics, although it is very similar to a normal cough reflex. It is characterized by great intensity and gradually changes its character. In the first stages of the disease, the cough is usually dry and painful. Over time, sputum appears. At first it is simply mucous, then purulent-mucous. In the later stages, the sputum is purulent-mucous. Oncological cough reflex does not respond to standard therapy. It can be caused by malignant tumors that arise in different tissues of the respiratory system.

Cough treatment

If a cough without fever has recently appeared and is accompanied by a runny nose, this may be the result of viruses. In this case, you need to stay in bed. It is not recommended to visit a group so as not to spread the infection and not to put additional strain on the body. A mild illness will go away on its own or with the help of folk remedies - tea with viburnum, radish juice and herbal remedies. If the cough does not go away for more than two weeks, you need to visit a doctor. It is especially dangerous to ignore non-fever cough in children. The development of diseases in children can be rapid.

A cough reflex that does not disappear for a long time and is not accompanied by a high temperature is an alarming sign. Especially if a severe cough is accompanied by sputum with blood streaks and pain. It is strictly not recommended to delay visiting a doctor.

Before you start treating a cough, you need to find out the cause of its occurrence. Many diseases have similar symptoms, but are of completely different nature. A misdiagnosis can have fatal consequences.

Only a doctor can determine the causes of any cough. He will examine the patient and prescribe a series of tests. You may need to have an x-ray of your lungs. Depending on the results of the studies, the doctor will make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

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